The Everything Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook: 200 Easy, Make-Ahead Recipes Featuring Plant-Based Ingredients

by Diane K. Smith

Lose weight, stay healthy, and feel great every day with over 200 delicious, plant-based recipes perfect for your weekly meal prep!

The plant-based diet doesn’t have to be complicated. There’s no need to worry about figuring out challenging recipes or spending extra time in the kitchen every day. The solution is meal prep!

Now you can focus on eating fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats while receiving the nutrients you need for your healthy lifestyle straight from plant food sources. In The Everything Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook you will prepare your plant-based dishes in advance so you always have everything you need to stay on track with your diet. Including easy explanations of how to combine the plant-based diet with a meal prep schedule, you’ll find it easier than ever to incorporate vegan foods into your daily life.

With more than 200 delicious, plant-based recipes such as Cauliflower Pasta Alfredo and Carrot Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies, this book provides the perfect meals to make ahead of time and eat throughout the week or to freeze and eat later in the month. Whether you’re trying to kick-start a healthier lifestyle or streamline your current cooking process The Everything Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook will have you looking and feeling your best...while freeing up more time for the things you love.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2020

About the author

Diane is a certified plant-based nutrition expert, food over medicine instructor, writer, photographer, and recipe developer who's been helping people transition to a whole food plant-based lifestyle for the past nine years. She hopes to guide and inspire you to gain control over your eating habits, enjoy delicious meals, have freedom from worry, and live a long and healthy life! This means being serious about eating a whole-food, plant-based diet that promotes health and even reverses disease. Join her for recipes and helpful articles.
WEBSITE: htttps://www.plantbasedcooking.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/plantbasedco...

Reviews

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch]

The Everything Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook: 200 Easy, Make-Ahead Recipes Featuring Plant-Based Ingredients is easy to read and follow that focuses on recipes that are easy to plan, prep for, make-ahead to put in the fridge for the week, or frozen for future meals.

This is a great cookbook for anyone thinking or wanting to switch to more of a plant-based diet and is a little overwhelmed where to start. It’s great for anyone looking for recipes for those meatless days or for anyone who follows a plant based-diet looking for tips and recipes that are easy, fresh, and exciting. Diane K Smith shares with us the benefits of a plant-based diet and explains what foods can be substituted for protein and dairy. Even now after following a plant-based diet for a couple of years, I struggle with adding protein to my meals and need reminding what I can use. I enjoyed flipping through the recipes and making notes of the ones I want to make and planning which ones I want to make a little extra or make ahead for the freezer. Diane K Smith makes that easy with the tips she includes with the recipes.

There are over 200 recipes here that included colourful vegetables and appealing protein. The easy recipes cover every meal of the day and include meal-worthy salads, comforting soups, and stews, side dishes, sauces, and condiments to kick up your meals a notch and desserts.

There are so many I want to mention but here are a few that caught my eye to try very soon.

Black Bean Breakfast Tacos

Raspberry Scone Muffins

Asian Noodle Salad

Falafel Burgers (can use them for) Greek Spinach Salad

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Lasagna Soup

Spaghetti with Black Bean Meatballs

Penne Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

AND many more

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. It is one I am putting on my cookbook to own wishlist! I highly recommend it!!

[Cathy Geha]

The Everything Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook by Diane K. Smith

200 Easy, Make-Ahead Recipes Featuring Plant-Based Ingredients

Long ago my mother told me that if a cookbook provides ONE recipe that you use over and over or that you make one time and want to repeat then it is well worth the money spent. This book has more than one recipe I would like to make, and I have a feeling some would be added to my list of repeated meals.

Before the book begins there is a note that all books in this series have color coded boxes:
* Green: Question/answers to common questions
* Blue: facts/important snippets of information
* Red: alert/urgent warnings
* Yellow: essential/quick handy tips

The book begins with an introduction swiftly followed by How to Eat and Meal-Prep a Plant-Based Diet. It includes:
* Definition of Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
* Whether or not WFPB is Vegan
* Whether or not meat is allowed
* Health benefits of WFPB Diet
* Negative impact of animal foods on the body
* Information about processed foods
* How to decide if a packaged food is a good idea or not
* Protein – will I be able to get enough?
* Is soy okay?
* Are carbs bad?
* Fruits and Vegetables – Indulge, dirty and clean and what that means, organic vs non-organic, fresh vs frozen versus canned
* Beans…their importance and how often to eat them
* Nuts & Seeds
* Oils
* Cooking without oil
* Meat Substitutions
* Recipe Substitutions
* Supplements
* Meal Prep/Meal Prep Game Plan
* Sweeteners
* Weekly Meal Plans
* Useful Kitchen Tools
* Storage containers
* Reheating
* Personalizing recipes

Recipes Sections:
* Breakfast
* Appetizers
* Salads
* Soups & Stews
* Lunch
* Main Dishes
* Side Dishes
* Sauces & Condiments
* Desserts
* 2 Week Meal Plan

There were gorgeous photographs, tidbits of information, ways to use a burger recipe for meatballs to use in salads or with pasta or in other ways, intriguing ideas for meals and more. Living in Lebanon during the pandemic I am finding it difficult to find imported items so things like tofu, tempeh, plant milks and other items and if I can find them they have become prohibitively expensive so the recipes that I could actually MAKE from the book might be more limited than it once was or than if I were living in the West.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I buy it for myself or as a gift? I would
Who might like this book? Those new to eating this way or those wanting to move this direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Adams Media for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

[Ancillar]

Cue the music because I am cooking up a storm. I am crazy about this book and can you blame me? This book is amazing and I love the recipes and the commentary. However I would have liked the book more if it had more pictures some of the recipes had no pictures and that depicts a cookbook in my opinion. I highly recommend it for anyone that wants to start or incorporate more plant based dishes. Huge thanks to the publisher for my ARC in exchange of an honest review

[Lisa Viger]

Diane's book is beautifully done and all the recipes are delicious but also healthy! I'm so happy to add this to my collection and know I'll be using many of these recipes more than once.

I really appreciate the way this book is organized. And it has just about everything. Condiments, mains, sides, breakfasts, lunches, appetizers ... there are a LOT of recipes here and loads of helpful information. Loaded Tahini-Spiced Potato Skins, Oil-Free Basil Pesto, Beet Hummus, Raspberry scone Muffins are just a few of the recipes. These are pretty representative of the recipes in this informative book. They are super hearty, delicious with loads of flavor, but totally healthy at the same time.

Plant-based is the way to go when it comes to personal health and the health of the planet. This cookbook makes that easy and delicious. I highly recommend The Everything Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook to anyone who is living a plant-based lifestyle, whether they're a beginner or experienced, or for anyone who may be curious about what this lifestyle can look like.

[Amanda]

I cannot wait to buy this cookbook! As someone who loves eating and planning, I can tell I’m going to get a lot of use from this book.

I’ve always wanted to meal prep, but it seems so overwhelming. This book gives you all the tools you need to get started. Not only is the book filled with healthy plant-based recipes that sound delicious, there’s also practical information on how to manage the actual meal prepping, storing, and reheating.

Whether you’re interested in making a lifestyle change, or just flirting with eating more whole-food plant-based dishes, I think you would benefit from having this cookbook in your collection.

This review was written as kind of a first impression of the book. I haven’t tried the recipes yet, but I fully intend to purchase this book! Thank you Netgalley and Adams Media for the chance to review this ARC!

[HollyLovesBooks]

I adore reading through cookbooks and this one is a novelty for me. It focuses specifically on the benefits and the risks of a plant-only, based diet. The risk is vitamin B12 deficiency, that can be avoided if aware of the risk. The benefits are vast. The issue is, how feasible is this sort of diet within the confines of the routines of life? With the information and recipes located in this book, this appears to be a dietary change that is doable. There are delicious recipes throughout the book with fantastic photography.
I enjoyed so many of the tips that are given throughout the text. Everything from measurement adjustments to substitutes for ingredients. Some of the substitutes are for what would usually be a meat/dairy based product for a plant-based product. There are also substitutions within the plant-based recipes as well. One form of nut or “wet-ingredient” for another. There are plenty of ideas for how to mix and match pieces of a meal for each other to create something new, while using a bulk cooking option from another dish.
I really enjoyed this cookbook and will consider starting with several of the ideas to try to convert my household in this direction. I also love when a cookbook presents one dish that then allows me to be creative with various other recipes and cooking styles. I am always looking for new ideas!
I look forward to seeing this book on the shelves.
#TheEverythingPlantBasedMealPrepCookbook. #NetGalley #AdamsMedia

[Annie]

Review to come on my blog at release: Nonstop Reader.

The Everything Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook is a tutorial and recipe guide for meal-prep developed for the whole food plant-based diet written by Diane K. Smith. Due out 17th Nov 2020 from Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 272 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

There have been a lot of times when I've come home from work and literally had no plan for dinner and a not-inspiring collection of ingredients and no idea what to cook for my family (we usually wind up with takeout food in those cases). I've been familiar for ages with the concept of bulk-cooking and meal planning and prep, but it always seemed to take a lot more organizational skills than I honestly have. I'm sort of an extreme case of course, but I wanted to read this book and see if I could get some tips I could use to be more food prep organized.
This is a very well prepared and presented supportive guide to succeeding implementing and enjoying the WFPB diet more effectively with meal-prep and bulk cooking. The introduction covers the diet itself, its aims, health benefits, and ingredients as well as the nuts-and-bolts of the diet and how to use it.

The recipes are arranged roughly thematically: breakfast, appetizers, salads, soups & stews, lunch, sides, sauces & condiments, and desserts. Each recipe has its ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard only. (There's a metric conversion chart in the back of the book). Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. The ingredients are mostly easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. Nutritional information is provided for each of the recipes.

Essential info, alerts, facts, and questions & answers are highlighted in brightly colored text boxes. These will be familiar to readers of other books in the Everything series from this publisher. Roughly 25% of the recipes are photographed. Photos and serving suggestions included are full color, appetizing, and appropriate.

The meal planning part of the book contains 2 weeks of sample meal plans. The charts are no-frills but they are very clear and easy to follow. Each meal for the week contains recipes for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert.

This is a very well organized system to help readers get control of their diets, eat wholesome nutritious foods, and save time and money. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Tove R.]

Wow! Such an amazing cookbook! I am overwhelmed by how good this book is. There are so many plant-based and vegan cookbooks out there, and as with cookbooks in general, you better check it out before you buy it. This one though I can thoroughly recommended to anyone! A lot of useful information, for example about organic food and different oils.

First there’s a short introduction to what plant-based means, what to eat, what to avoid, and why. Great information, to the point, and no nonsense. I am a vegan so I know this stuff, but for the general public it’s really great information. Then we get to the fabulous stuff - the fabulous, healthy, and tasty recipes. Mouthwatering and filling!

I will try these recipes during the following months, because there are many new ones to me. I also love that there is info about meal prepping, and meal plans. Yay! I could almost taste these tasty dishes, and smell them, while looking through them. I will head to the store to buy ingredients to several dishes. I would like to name some of my must-cook dishes, but there are simply too many to name. There is one thing that would make this book better for me - I am a person who likes to see a picture of the food next to the recipe, but sadly most recipes do not have a photo next to them. Otherwise the book is pretty much perfect. 4,5 stars.

[Danielle]

The beginning of this book is packed with a lot of great information, for example how to cook without oil, why soy isn't bad for you, how to eat beans every day, what whole food sweeteners you should use, how to make seitan at home, as well as substitutions for things like eggs, dairy, etc. Then you get into the recipe section of the book which is quite large. I was really happy to see she didn't include many salad recipes (eating vegan is SO much more than just salad!) but she did include a large variety of tempeh and bean-based recipes. I also really appreciated her snippets of information included with almost every recipe. For example, in the Raspberry Scone Muffins recipe she talks about the benefits of flax seed and with the Carrot-Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe she explains the anti-inflammatory benefits of carotenoids. A two-week plan is also included in the book which I won't use, but I can see that being very helpful for plant-based beginners. My only complaint about this cookbook is that it doesn't feature enough photos. I like to see what each recipe should look like and that's how I usually pick which recipes to try.

*Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. However, all opinions are my own.*

[Z]

For me, this cookbook was slightly too preachy on the benefits of eating plant-based (I’ve already picked the cookbook up, so I don’t really need the convincing). It also relied a little too much on using tofu and tempeh as meat replacements. I’m a huge fan of tempeh, but I also much prefer it as tempeh, not when it’s trying to masquerade as bacon, and there was a little too much of that in this cookbook for me, when what I was hoping for were creative vegetarian options.

What stood out as a positive was the baking section. It’s tricky to make vegan baked goods, with all the substitutions that you have to deal with, and this cookbook provided enough baking recipes for you to really get started in learning to bake plant-based.

Full review on my blog.

[Johanna Sawyer]

You asked for it....everything plant based and part meal prep. The majority of the cookbook is recipes not exactly meal prep. Big assortment of plant based recipes but I would have liked more pictures.

What did I like? Some very helpful tidbits about cooking rice that I did not know about which made this an eye opener cookbook. Still I bookmarked a few recipes to try even though I’m not a strict vegan or plant based eater. I still like the occasional seafood or meat. I still have a weak spot for finding a meatless Monday recipe to share or try.

Would I recommend or buy? It does have a lack of pictures... but it has great tidbits and prep ideas. I would definitely try some of the recipes and it had a great salad and soup chapter. I gave it four stars. Vegans will love it!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review.

[Diane Hernandez]

With hundreds of recipes, the Everything Plant-based Meal Prep Cookbook has you covered. There are twenty-five salad recipes alone!

The book doesn’t waste a thing. Who knew that the water in a can of chickpeas had a name? Aguafaba. The Beet Hummus was innovative and tasty too!

I did feel that there wasn’t much meal prep advice in the Everything Plant-based Meal Prep Cookbook. Plus the recipes were mostly not for items that can be eaten in different forms (like a stew that can be used in a burrito later) as I’ve seen in other prep books. Plus there was a distinct lack of pictures. But the recipes sound delicious so 4 stars for them!

Thanks to Adams Media and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Elizabeth]

I admit, I’m a meat-eater, but it’s not for a lacking of trying a plant-based diet. With kids in the house, I’ve used that as my excuse to stay lax with how much I push the Vegan and Vegetarian cuisine, but the true cause has been my lack of imagination. Growing up with a specific idea of what a meal should contain has made it hard to imagine a recipe or meal without meat, as it’s always been the center of the plate.

With this book, not only do get recipes upon recipes of delicious and good-for-you dishes, you find a way to work around those old ideas to create something new and no-less delicious than the old stuff you were prepping before. This will forever be a guide to creating beautiful and tasty meals without the dead flesh.

[Angela]

Decent cookbook with an introduction to plant-based eating. Every recipe has nutritional information, which is a huge plus. Because of the title, I thought there would be more info about meal prepping, but it had some information in the beginning before it gets to the recipes. Very well organized. Not many photos. Many of the recipes use tofu or soy milk, which was a bit disappointing to me as I cannot eat those and would love to find more plant-based books out there without that, but overall offers a wide range of recipes. Many also include great facts or tips, such as making your oat own flour or grain free options.

[Sveva]

The recipes on this book are SO yummy and so easy to make it's unbelievable! I've been wanting to eat more plant-based for a while now and this is definitely an amazing resource. I really enjoyed the first part of the book and all the suggestions on how to replace not-plant-based-food such as eggs on recipes. The design of the book is enjoyable, everything is easy to read and I appreciate the little tab on every recipe with info about calories and stuff. Would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to approach a plant-based lifestyle and don't know where to start. Plant-based doesn't mean eat salads all day every day, there are a lot of amazing recipes to try!.

[(a)lyss(a)]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me.

I enjoy cook books with pictures of the recipes and while there are plenty of recipes in this book it's lacking in photos. There's recipes for everything from smoothies to desserts making this a thorough cook book.

This book uses cashew cheese and other kinds of non-dairy cheeses that I'm not a fan of, it's a lot of adapting other recipes to be plant based instead of recipes that are plant based from the start. That being said there's lots of interesting things like tacos and lasagna.

Overall it's an interesting book but not my cup of tea.

[Bookgrrl]

Thank you to NetGalley, Adams Media, and the author for this advanced reading copy. The opinions in this review are my own.
I really enjoyed this cookbook a lot! The recipes aren't overly complicated & are made with mostly common ingredients. I've read several cookbooks lately that claimed to be "plant-based" but had animal products, so THANK YOU for being truly plant based. I also really appreciated that the recipes are mostly whole foods based, and oil-free (I loathe vegan cookbooks that use copious amounts of oil & negate all the health benefits of going plant based).
Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to make the Almond Chickpea bars and Macaroni Salad.

[Cozy Book Spot]

This is a great Plant-based cookbook. There are so many recipes and it's a very well organized and clear book. Not all the recipes have photos but the ones that do have it are very beautiful. Every recipe have a per serving information box with info about calories, fat, carbs, fiber, sugar, sodium and protein and there are some tips as well. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

[sinag]

3/5 stars!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked that there is an introduction to what is a plant-based diet and definition of different terms. There are also some pictures of the final product from the recipes. I just wished all recipes have pictures with them.

[Nicole]

I picked this cookbook mostly because it didn't have oil in the recipes and it did have nutrition info. I really want to know about carbs, fiber, and protein, and I appreciate that this book has it. I haven't made any recipes yet....making the first one for dinner tonight. But they all look pretty do-able.

[Tracy]

A great cookbook! I want to get more vegetables into my daily diet and this cookbook shows how. The recipes are basic and can be made with foods already on hand. I recommend to anyone interested in starting a plant based diet or anyone just looking for new recipe options.

[Andrea (Hammock and Read)]

This is a great cookbook with a lot of recipes to pick from and love they are so plant based. Its a good goal to have a couple of these a week. I also like that the recipes are clear and easy to read- which is very important in a cookbook!

[Meredith]

**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Overall, it's a nice cookbook, and worth a look if you don't have similar cookbooks. Nothing new or earth shattering.

[Ren]

I'm always excited to try a new vegan cookbook! Some are bigger hits than others, most I'll borrow from my local library but not purchase my own copy. This one? Chock full of recipes I want to make!

Thank you to Adams Media and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Cynthia]

our family enjoyed the recipes we have tried so far and look forward to trying more. the recipes are easy to follow; our son had a good time cooking on his own. good place to begin your vegetarian/vegan journey.

[Pinky]

Easy plant-based meals to add to your weekly meal prep. Like that each recipe has nutritional information that includes sodium and fat. Want to try the Lasagna Soup, Hawaiian Stuffed Peppers, and the Loaded Tahini-Spiced Potato Skin recipes.

[Kim Veach]

Plenty of good info and recipes.

[Lo]

The recipes are good, but it isn’t a book that will teach you to meal prep. Basically make more so you have leftovers.

[The Shakti Witch]

This is the perfect go to cookbook for anyone considering a plant based diet. Explanations and health benefits are clearly and concisely explained followed by 200 excellent recipes.

Recipes include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Along with sauces and desserts. Each recipe also has the accompanying nutritional information. A 2 week meal plan is also included.

*eArc provided by the publisher and NetGalley

[Nikki Brooks]

A wonderful resource for those of the veggie persuasion or even those who just want to up their veggie intake.

Getting organised is a real chore for me, so this was a great way to get myself planning my meals and having things ready to go in the fridge and freezer.

Lots of helpful recipes for breakfasts, lunch, snacks, etc. With some sauce/dips to make the same meals taste that bit slightly different.